Production of motor fuel and the like



May 30, 1933. E. E. REID PRODUCTION OF MOTOR FUEL AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 27, 1929 [NVENTOR M BY g a ATTORNEYS Patented May 30, 1933 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EBENEZEB EMME'I REID, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, -ASSIGNOR TO COLUMBIA.

ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. COR- PORATION O1 OHIO PRODUCTION O1 MOTOR FUEL AND THE LIKE Application filed August 27, 1929. Serial No. 388,853.

This invention relates to the production of motor fuels, gas oils, and lubricating oils, and more particularly to a method of treating the lower aliphatic l drocarbons to convert them into more va uable products.

My invention depends upon the fact that hydrocarbons of the lower aliphatic series, and particularly those boiling between 90 C. and 36 0., such as ethane, propane,

m butane, and pentane, may be cracked bythe application of heat to produce unsaturated hydrocarbons and that the unsaturated, hydrocarbons may be pol merized under suitable conditions to pro uce other hydrocarbons which may be used for motor fuel and other commercial purposes and are consequently more valuable than the low boiling hydrocarbons which are introduced original- 1y to the process.

I have discovered that to secure the most effective results it is desirable to separate the cracking and polymerization stages and to conduct them independently, because the conditions which favor the cracking of the hydrocarbons are not those which produce the highest yields of polymerized products.

Thus in cracking it is desirable to employ relatively low pressures and high temperatures, whereas in the polymerization stage higher pressures and lower temperatures produce the most satisfactory results.

In carrying out the invention, therefore, I subject the hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, butane, or pentane or mixtures thereof, at ordinary atmospheric pressure or at pressures preferably not exceeding about 30 pounds per square inch, to relatively high temperatures, for example from 500 to 900 C. Higher or lower temperatures may be employed, but the range indicated produces the most satisfactory results.

The product obtained by cracking is a mixture of hydrocarbons, some of the higher and some of the lower boiling point, some 5 saturated and some unsaturated, together with hydrogen. I find it advantageous to fractionate the product from the cracking operation to separate hydrogen and other undesirable constituents therefrom.

In the second stage of the process, I sub- {Ject preferably the unsaturated hydrocarons resulting from the cracking operation preferably the fraction boiling between 105 C. and 40 C. to relatively high pressures, that is to say, pressures above 500 lbs. per square inch and preferably exceeding 1000 pounds per square inch. The pressures employed may range upward to 12,000 pounds per square inch or more, these pressures being limited practically by the ultimate strength of the apparatus used. At such pressures the hydrocarbons are subjected to relatively low temperatures, that is to say, from 200 to 600 0., although somewhat higher or lower temperatures may be used.

The operations may be conducted in any suitable apparatus capable of withstanding the pressure, such as an autoclave or an apparatus in which a continuous flow of the materials is maintained. The process can be conducted as a batch operation in suitable closed vessels such as the autoclave. It may be conducted also in a continuous manner by providing suitable closed chambers such as heated tubes through which the materials flow, the products being withdrawn through valved outlets. The apparatus forms no part of the present invention, and may be adapted readily from apparatus employed in similar operations.

A suitable apparatus adapted to carry out the process steps involved in my invention is illustrated in the figure in the accompanying drawing. In the drawing 1 is a cracking chamber, 3 and 13 are fractionators, 7 is a compressor, 9 is a reactor and 17 is a receiver. The various units are connected by pipes 2, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 16, respectively. In carrying out the process with the above apparatus a low boiling hydrocarbon or mixture of low boiling hydrocarbons such as a mixture of ethane, pro ane and butane is treated in the cracking c amber 1 at relatively high temperature and relatively low ressure, whereb a hydrocarbon mixture 1s obtained containing unsaturated bodies together with some saturated materials and hydrogen. These reaction products are preferably conducted by way of pipe 2 to the fractionator 3 where hydrogen and methane are removed through outlet 4 and any high boiling undesirable liquid products are drawn ofi through 5. The desired hydrocarbon material which may consist of ethylene, ethane, propylene, propane, butylene and butane, is withdrawn from the fractionator by way of ipe 6 to the compressor 7. After being t ere com ressed to the desired pressure, which may e of the order of 100 pounds per square inch or more, the compressed hydrocarbon material is conducted by way of pipe 8 to the reactor 9 where it is subjected to the required temperature which may be from 200 to 600 C. for the desired time. The reaction products then pass through pipe 10, bleeder valve 11, whereby the pressure is lowered to atmospheric, pipe 12 to the fractionator 13 where materials boiling within the desired motor fuel range are drawn off through pipe 16 into the receiver 17. Liquid products of higher boiling point range are drawn ofl through 15 while highly volatile materials and reacted gases escape through outlet 14. The latter gases may be returned to the reaction system by suitable connections between outlet 14 and pipe 6 or if the fractionation be carried out at the pressure obtaining in the reactor, the unreacted gases may be returned to the system by way of suitable connection to pi e 8. If the fractionator 13 operates at t e pressure obtaining in the reactor, ipes 14, 15 and 16 will be of course suita ly valved to maintai. this pressure. Gases escaping through 14 may, if desired, be subjected to a preliminary urification treatment before being returned to the system or they may be used for entirely separate uses. Suitable weir boxes, gas flow meters, pressure gauges, temperature control and recording means may be installed at desired points throughout the apparatus. The apparatus as shown may be used in batch type operations or it may be used to produce motor fuel having the desired boiling range by continuous treatment of low boiling hydrocarbon material.

As an example of the invention, a mixture of low boiling hydrocarbons containing approximately 20% of propane, of butane, and 10% of pentane, is cracked by passing it through a. cracking chamber constructed, for example, of chrome steel, the chamber bein heated referably toa temperature of a out 725 at about atmospheric pressure. The product is passed through a fractionating apparatus to separate hydrogen and methane at the lower end and compounds higher-than butane or butylene at the other. The resulting fraction contains ethylene, ethane, propylene, propane, butymotor fuel with small quantities of less volatile hydrocarbons which may be separated readily by further fractionation.

, The procedure as described affords a sim ple and effective method of converting hydrocarbons of relatively slight value into more valuable products and particularly motor fuel. The latter may be used directly as a fuel or it ma be blended with other motor fuels to pro uce desirable products.

Various changes may be made in the details of the procedure and particularly in the temperatures and pressures employed without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim:

1. An improved process for producing valuable higher boiling hydrocarbons from lower boiling saturated hydrocarbons of more than one carbon atom, which com rises the steps of converting such saturate hydrocarbons into unsaturates, removing themajor quantity of free hydrogen and polymeriring the olefins to form higher boiling hydrocarbons.

2. An improved process of producing valuable higher boiling hydrocarbons from lower boiling saturated hydrocarbons of more than one carbon atom, which comprises the steps of converting such hydrocarbons into unsaturates removing the major quantity of free hydrogen and methane and polymerizing the olefins to form higher boiling hydrocarbons.

3. An improved process for producing hydrocarbons having the boiling point range of motor fuel from lower boiling saturated hydrocarbons of more than one carbon atom which comprises converting such saturated hydrocarbons into unsaturates by heating under a comparatively low pressure, removing the major quantity of free hydrogen and Subsequently polymerizing the olefins by heating under a comparatively high pressure to form higher boiling hydrocarbons.

4. An improved process for producing hydrocarbons having the boiling point range of motor fuel from lower boiling saturated hydrocarbons of more than one carbon atom which comprises converting such saturated hydrocarbons into unsaturates by heating under a comparatively low pressure, removing the major quantity of free hydrogen and polymerizing the product by heating under a pressure in excess of 500 pounds to the inch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EBENEZER EMMET REID.

CERTlFlCATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,912,009. May 30, 1933.

EBENEZER EliiMET REID.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 21, for read "1000"; and line 35, for "reacted" read "unreacted"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Sign d and sealed this 15th day of August, A. D. 1933.

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

heating under a comparatively high pressure to form higher boiling hydrocarbons.

4. An improved process for producing hydrocarbons having the boiling point range of motor fuel from lower boiling saturated hydrocarbons of more than one carbon atom which comprises converting such saturated hydrocarbons into unsaturates by heating under a comparatively low pressure, removing the major quantity of free hydrogen and polymerizing the product by heating under a pressure in excess of 500 pounds to the inch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EBENEZER EMMET REID.

CERTlFlCATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,912,009. May 30, 1933.

EBENEZER EliiMET REID.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 21, for read "1000"; and line 35, for "reacted" read "unreacted"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Sign d and sealed this 15th day of August, A. D. 1933.

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

